GRADUATE OF WAJDA SCHOOL
THE BEST DIRECTOR OF THE FESTIVAL IN BATUMI

Agnieszka Smoczyńska – the director of the film 'Aria Diva', produced at the Andrzej Wajda School within the '30 Minutes' programme – won the Best Director Prize in the young cinema competition at the film festival in Batumi.

At the Batumi 4 International Art-House Festival the film by Agnieszka Smoczyńska 'Aria Diva' was presented within the young cinema competition. The Jury, which emphasized the high level of the films qualified for the review, appreciated the director by awarding her with the Best Director Prize.

The script of the 'Aria Diva' produced by the Andrzej Wajda School and the Polish Filmmakers Association is based on a short story by Olga Tokarczuk.  It is a story of Basia – a happy wife and mother in her thirties – whose life changes under the influence of a new neighbour – an opera diva. Their initial friendship develops into a feeling which isn't comfortable for either of the two women.

Agnieszka Smoczyńska is a graduate of the documentary course and of the EKRAN – a European training programme for film professionals conducted at the Andrzej Wajda School.

The film 'Aria Diva' was produced within the confines of the ‘30 Minutes’ programme - a joint initiative of the the Andrzej Wajda School, Andrzej Munk Studio 'The Young and Film' within the SFP (the Polish Filmmakers Association, who was a partner of the programme on its own until 2008), TVP and the Polish Film Institute. The picture has been repeatedly presented at many prestigious festivals at home and abroad, where it has been recognized by the jurors, winning numerous awards and mentions.

The International Art-House Festival is an event, where directors from across Europe have an opportunity to confront their film work with other artists. The formula of the festival not only consists of the competition, but also of a retrospective, thanks to which the audience has the possibility to see the achievements of the masters of the European cinema.

Apart from the film by Smoczyńska, also the film by the Paladino Film Group 'Andrzej Wajda: Let's Shoot' produced by the Andrzej Wajda School was presented at the festival in Georgia.

 

(September 2009)